Urethane-coated nylon is conventionally used in the United States as tent material. Typically, conventional fabric for tent material is coated with a urethane resin coating for waterproofing. Colored tent material can be provided by dying urethane coated nylon fabric tent material using conventional dyes. Conventional dyes for coloring are solutions. Dyes therefore tend to be translucent and soak into or impregnate fabric during dying rather than coating the surface of fabric with an opaque coating. Thus, brightness of colors in which the dyed tent material may be offered is limited and dyed tent material tends to be dull. Further, dying tent material does not mask the color of fabric base material. Therefore, fabric used in conventional tent material must be of uniform color and lot, and the color of fabric used must be similar to desired color of tent material. For example, if orange tent material is desired, then black fabric typically cannot be used. In addition to the translucency of dyed tent material, color of conventional tent material tends to fade over time exposure to outdoor conditions. Polyester fabrics have also been used in conventional tent material.
Sunlight, the source of most UV radiation affecting tent materials, causes the urethane resin coatings of conventional materials to break down and lose their durability. This breakdown results in color fading, peeling and flaking of the coating. Sunlight also causes reduced tear strength in conventional tent material resulting in reduced waterproofness. To ensure sufficient durability of conventional tent material, thicker fabrics (i.e., higher denier) must be used which have the disadvantage of increasing weight and cost of the tent and tent material.
Conventional tent materials are generally not recyclable because they are made of dissimilar fabrics and resin coatings. Tent material that is made of the same fabric and coating would enhance recyclability of tent material.
Silicone coated fabric is conventionally used as tent material in Europe. A disadvantage of using silicone coatings is that they fail U.S. flame retardancy regulations for tents. Another disadvantage of silicone coated tent material is that seams and tears in silicone coated tent material cannot be taped. Thus, tents and other articles made of conventional silicone coated material may have leaky seams and may be more difficult to repair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,067 to Yamamoto et al. ('067) discloses a tent material fabric impregnated with a silicone resin-containing fibrous potassium titanate varnish solution. Fibrous potassium titanate is compounded into the silicone resin varnish to impart flameproofing and reinforcing action to the fabric material. Yamamoto '067 neither discloses a coating which does not impregnate fibers, nor pigment for coloring for such a coating, nor lamination of such coating to a fabric substrate, nor application of adhesive to such a coating or the fabric.
Further, conventional tent material does not typically withstand repeated laundering or repeated exposure to sun and rain. Thus, laundering or exposure to sun and rain may cause conventional tent material to prematurely fade, peel, rip and leak.
What is desired, therefore, is a tent material having high UV-resistance, minimum reduction in tear strength over time exposure to outdoor conditions and repeated laundering, that can be repaired by taping seams and tears, and that passes U.S. flame retardancy requirements. Also desired is tent material that can be provided in brilliant colors, that maintains its color after extended periods of exposure to outdoor conditions and UV radiation. Additionally, tent material that is recyclable and that can utilize fabric of any color and made of recycled plastic is desired.